Competing
by JailyForever
Summary: Sports AU where Draco is a track athlete, but what happens at London 2012 changes his life forever.


**Advent Gift!Fic for:** Sophie (3cheersforidiots)

 **Character:** Draco. Sports AU

 **Writing Club:** Disability Day - Write about a character with a disability.

 **Word Count:** 889

* * *

Competing

Olympics: London, 2012

Draco stretched as he prepared himself for the final. Team GB had been performing sublimely well, surpassing all expectations, and he was more determined than ever to make sure he followed in their footsteps. Glory was only a few short minutes away.

He cast his eyes up to the stand and sought out the face of his fiancee, but he couldn't see her anywhere. Not that he was surprised since the stadium was packed.

"In lane number 3: Draco Malfoy of Team GB," the announcer cried.

Shrugging to himself, Draco stepped forward and waved to the crowd, basking in the love and adoration that was pouring from the home fans. Aside from the thrill of competing against and beating his fellow athletes, this was Draco's favourite part of his event.

As the announcer ran through the rest on names, Draco caught the eye of his biggest rival, Harry Potter, who had missed out on making this year's final. The man was swearing blind to anyone who would listen that Draco had pushed him and caused him to fall at the final hurdle-literally. Draco couldn't believe the gall of the man even if was a partial truth.

He narrowed his eyes at Harry and smirked as he approached the starting block and crouched down.

"On your marks… set..."

The starting gun fired, and Draco sprang from the blocks with as much power as he could muster. He pumped his arms as quickly as he could, leaping over the barriers. Through his peripheral vision, he could see his teammate, Theodore Nott, gaining on him; there was no chance he was going to let him catch him. He had worked too long and too hard to lose now, even if it would be to a fellow Brit.

He focused his gaze directly in front of him as he approached the second to last hurdle.

He counted the paces towards it.

 _One… two… three... is that?_

Draco's trailing leg caught the hurdle and he went flying to the ground, landing awkwardly. He heard the silent snickers of those around him as he looked back at the scene which had caused him to fall, hoping that he had imagined it.

He felt a twinge in his heart. It was there for him to see as plain as day. His so-called fiancee making out with his arch rival for all the world to see. It was almost enough to make his forget about the pain that was beginning to spread through his body. He barely registered the fact that he couldn't feel his legs.

~o~o~o~

London, 2014

"Hey, Draco, have you seen this?" Blaise called to his friend in the kitchen as he paused the television.

"Seen what?" Draco asked, entering the living room carrying a tray with two cups of tea on it.

"This," Blaise said, nodding at the television set as he hit play.

Draco frowned as he saw the advert begin to play, harping on about the success of Team GB at the Paralympics in 2012.

"Turn it off, Blaise," Draco mumbled. "I've told you already, I'm not going to do it."

He wiggled the stick on the right arm of his wheelchair and backed it out of the lounge and sped through the specially adapted bungalow, fighting the strong desire to cry.

"DRACO!" Blaise called, chasing after him. "Come on, you can do this; I know you can. It's only you who needs to have faith. You are an athlete… it's in your blood."

Draco spun his wheelchair around rapidly.

"No, Blaise, I _was_ an athlete," Draco snapped. "Now I am a has-been in a wheelchair."

Blaise crouched down in front of Draco and placed his hands on his face.

"Draco, you have to stop letting this chair define you," Blaise said. "You might see that, but do you know what I see… I see a man who has overcome so much in the last two years alone, a man who defied all the odds after being told he could be paralysed for life. I see a man who IS an athlete. You can do this, Draco. All you have to do is take that leap of faith."

Blaise leant forward and kissed Draco chastely on the lips.

"Okay, I'll try," Draco relented. "But I'm making no promises."

"That's all I ask."

~o~o~o~

Paralympics: Rio, 2016

"And in lane 4, competing for Team GB is Draco Malfoy," the announcer cried.

Draco wheeled forward in his chair, waving to his supporters. In the last two years, with the support of Blaise and the help of an excellent coach, Severus Snape, Draco had risen to be one of the best in his field. But, unlike before, he didn't compete for the fame or for the glory, he competed to give hope to children who were wheelchair bound. He hoped to be an inspiration for them.

His eyes moved to the stands as he sought out Blaise. In the last four years, even since his fiancee had broken his heart and inadvertently caused him to lose the use of his legs, Draco and Blaise had become closer than ever. And over the last year and half, that closeness had evolved into something more.

He smiled as he found Blaise in the crowd. "I love you," he mouthed.

"On your marks… get set…"


End file.
